The Common Council held the second budget workshop for fiscal year 2026-2027 on April 14, 2026. Department directors presented their proposed budgets, answered council questions, and highlighted the impacts of proposed cuts. No formal votes were taken; the workshop was for discussion and feedback.
All right. And Councilwoman Spontola, if you can do us the honor with the Pledge of Allegiance. Of the United States of America. And to the Republic for which it stands. One nation under God, indivisible with liberty and justice for all. Thank you again, everyone. At this point, we have three council online. And Councilman Blackwell's here. And we'll see who who else may be showing up. We'll keep checking the status of people arriving. So again, welcome everyone. And we're going to start first with tonight's hearing. Our director of our town clerk's office for the record. And we'll actually go ahead with your presentation and then we'll open it up to questions, please. Thank you. Thank you. Good evening, Mayor Nocera and members of the common council. For those of you who I have not yet had the opportunity, opportunity to meet, my name is Ashley Flynn Natale, and I serve as your town clerk. Like my colleagues, I have presented a zero-based budget for this fiscal year. There is a slight increase in the full-time salary line, which is attributable to the 466 collective bargaining agreement. The town clerk's office operates in accordance with both state and municipal statutes, and our budget reflects what is legally required to fulfill those obligations. Unfortunately, many of these requirements come in the form of unfunded mandates, most often tied to ongoing changes in election laws, which we are required to implement and manage. In addition to our statutory responsibilities, the town clerk's office is also a revenue generating department. Through real estate filings on the land records, we collect municipal conveyance taxes based on property sales, along with fees for document recordings and trade name certificates. I would like to make one request for your consideration. If the city receives additional state funding, I respectfully ask that you consider funding the land record special projects clerk position. This role serves as a critical entry point within our office. Historically, we operated with five employees, which was later reduced to four, and we are now functioning with the staff of three. Despite these reductions, our workload has continued to grow due to the increased statutory requirements. We are committed to maintaining a high level of service for the residents of Middletown, but we are currently doing equal, if not more work with fewer staff. Restoring this position would greatly support our ability to continue serving the public efficiently and effectively. Thank you for your time and consideration. All right. Thank you, Ashley. And we are on page seven now, and council has questions online or in the chamber. I'll alternate back and forth. Thank you. Anyone online have questions? There are currently no hands raised online. All right, thank you. Can you tell us how much you bring in in revenue in relation to what is spent? Um as of right now, I believe we're at roughly 1.5 with the city conveyance for this current year. 1.5 million. And your expenditure, like percentage-wise, do you bring in more than goes out? Excuse me, can you put your microphone on, please, Councilwoman? It is. It is. We can't hear you. Close up? Yeah, bend it a little closer to your mic.